


Nice Dream

by SpookyMoth



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternative Universe - Mafia, Drug Dealing, Drugs, F/M, Gen, Minor Injuries, Naruto AU Week 2021, Police, Serious Injuries, Weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:47:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29153010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpookyMoth/pseuds/SpookyMoth
Summary: The drug business is a dirty one. There's more blood on Itachi's hands than he wants. But he does all to keep his brother safe.When the Akatsuki make their move Temari has to fear for the lives of her brothers. Only one person, the genius of the Konoha Main Police Station and his colleagues can help her to prevent the worst.Nobody knows that another mafia boss also lingers in the shadows to get hold of a certain someone...
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Suna no Sankyoudai | Sand Siblings & Nara Shikamaru, Suna no Sankyoudai | Sand Siblings & Uzumaki Naruko
Kudos: 6
Collections: Naruto AU Week 2021





	Nice Dream

**Author's Note:**

> **CW: Minor/Major Injuries / Blood**
> 
> Naruto Week Day 3: Mafia/Yakuza
> 
> Song: Radiohead - "Nice Dream"

The paths of life are confusing and full of misunderstandings.

One day a family sits together for dinner, talking about the day, laughter filling the room. The next day the blue lights of a police car are flashing in front of the same house because of a murder. Another unsolved case, another orphaned child and another victory for the dark intrigues of the mafia.

He has experienced this first-hand. After all, he is held responsible for the murders of his family. But he can't go back now. He is branded and his life is forfeited. Nobody except himself can save himself from this misery and so far it has not been going too well.

As always, he sits unfazed in his chair at the large table where they listened to Nagato, who was talking about their every day business. They have been able to get new customers, the range of their influence growing with each day.

The money flowed as well as the heroin into the veins of the people they dragged into a spiral of drug addiction. The more people they got hold of, the richer they got.

Itachi loathes every passing day that he made his living with the lives of others. But he has to stay where he is. Until he had enough information to blow up the Akatsuki. It is playing with fire. A game in which he not only weighed his but also his brother's life. As long as he keeps the facade up, nothing would happen to Sasuke. Sasuke is the only reason why he hasn't turned his back on the drug scene. Because if he does that, they would have leverage.

As always, Kisame keeps an eye on him and tries to determine his real intent, but Itachi is not only playing with marked cards, but a double bottom.

"How are the reports from Konoha, Itachi?” Konan addresses him now.

The boss's assistant and closest confidante. A dangerous woman who also would sell her own grandmother if necessary.

“So far we have been able to successfully prevent Orochimaru from seizing market power. Not only have we made more revenue than three months ago, we have also doubled the number of dealers selling our drugs,” Kisame replies.

"I asked Itachi." Konan's expression turns to anger.

“As Kisame said, we are on the right track. However, it will be more difficult to keep the police at arm's length. Danzo can be bribed well, but Hatake is on our heels."

Itachi is hurt so much to have to talk this way about his former friend. He would understand him as soon as he learns the truth, but that will not save him. Briefly his gaze wanders to Tobi. The man who, besides Konan, enjoyes the most trust among the Akatsuki. Nobody knows his face because he always keeps it hidden behind a mask.

“I want the written reports on my desk tomorrow. Including a list of financial resources. You are dismissed."

Chairs are moved to the side. Itachi is the first to leave the room.

_Will you be able to believe me if I ever tell you the truth, Sasuke?_

* * *

"Ouch, Sakura-chan, that hurts", Naruto whines and rubs the place on his arm where she has put the anaesthetic into him.

"You should be glad I took the pain away from you at all. I could have treated the wound without anaesthesia."

"Hn", remarks Sasuke, who is leaning against a wall, his arms crossed and watches as Naruto is treated by her.

Again it is late in the evening when something like this happens. Naruto prefers to get himself into trouble at nighttime. And Sakura has to pay for it.

She takes his arm and pulls him into a position so she could disinfect and maybe even stitch the wound. He stops complaining, just hisses when it hurts. He has only been grazed by a shot and meanwhile the wound isn't bleeding any more, but she doesn't want to miss anything.

"You were lucky. The bullet just passed the vessels. As soon as the anaesthetic is working properly, I'll clean everything and sew if necessary."

She prepares the compresses and bandages, as well as the needle and thread. Then she takes PVP-iodine and wipes it extensively over the surrounding skin. Naruto hisses again and grits his teeth.

"How did that even happen?" The question is directed to Sasuke.

"Well, the idiot was busy showing Kiba his new weapon."

"You shot yourself?" Sakura looks at Naruto with her mouth open. "You have been on duty for a week and you shoot yourself?"

"It wasn't quite like that. Really, Sakura-chan."

"Well, he threw his gun through the air and when it hit the ground a shot went off."

Sakura could see a smile appear on Sasuke's face for two seconds. In spite of everything, they are still two little boys who happened to be allowed handling weapons professionally. She had known that she would not be able to stop her men from going into the police. She has hoped till the end.

She positions the light and the magnifying glass over Naruto's arm. Sakura sees small bits of cloth in the wound. It isn't going to be a pleasant experience because the blood is dry now.  
Naruto is such an idiot.

"Unbelievable," she mutters, taking a pair of tweezers to run over his skin. "Do you feel that?" He shakes his head.

"Then I'll start the operation now."

* * *

South of Konohagakure, only a stone's throw away from Sunagakure, sits a man who is commonly known only as _The Snake_.

He doesn't trust anyone, not even his own people, even though he has grown very fond of Kabuto, an orphan boy who has been by his side since his childhood. Back then, as a police officer, he still believed in peace, law and order. Before everything that was important had been taken away from him. Before he discovered that the world was only full of hatred and wickedness. Before he was attracted by the simple money of the drug business.

Power is now the only thing that matters and he would get it.

A couple of pictures are neatly lined up on the desk in front of him. His informers had long spied on Konoha. They are looking for a promising talent.

He has his eye on someone who, with his dark, black and blue hair, has emulated his brother from an early age. A boy with incredible talents and very well suited to achieve his goals.

It is too easy to get him on his side, since he already knows the dark side of life and revenge moves every heart.

"Sasuke-kun," he hisses through his teeth and licks his lips. "Soon you will be mine."

* * *

Reaching someone in the main police station in Suna was a gamble. Since neither Kakashi, his boss, nor his own father as direct deputy or one of his colleagues has much time on their hands, it fell once again into Shikamaru's lap to take on this honourable task.

He likes to pull the strings in the background and to plan everything in such a way that the work got less, not more. However, phone calls with Suna are - to put it nicely - difficult. Baki gave him the information he needed straight away, and so did Gaara, after giving him a detailed talk about his cacti. He is more afraid of Kankuro, who doesn't understand any jokes by him.

But he will pull the worst when Temari sits on the other end. She always has a lot of fun tormenting him.

The line finally clicks.

"Suna police, main station."

_Damn. He got the fuzzy end of the lollipop._

"Nara Shikamaru, Konoha main police station," he replies with an inwardly sigh. "I have a request on behalf of Hatake Kakashi, High Commissioner."

"Badge number, please?"

This woman is unbelievable.

"What do you think of greeting people on the phone properly, Temari?"

“Maybe I just wanted to draw you out, Shikamaru? Nobody gets so easy riled up like you,” she teases him.

Now he really sighs, which she comments on with a short laugh.

"So can you help me?"

"When I have your badge number. Just because we know each other doesn't mean that Baki won't whoop my ass if I break the protocol. "

"Zero, one, two, six, one, one," he rattles down. He hears her type the number and then the click of her mouse over the phone.

"Interesting. Graduated from college three years ago and is already training as a deputy for the police station. "

“You know exactly when I graduated. You attended the celebration.” His jaw drops. "Are you looking at my file right now?"

“I have to check if you are really as much a genius as they say you are. Why only deputy?"

Shikamaru hopes more and more that he will get rid of her soon. This woman was the most troublesome of all. Next time she is going to pay for his beer.

"Others are better suited for this."

There is a brief silence at her end.

“Unfortunately I have to hang up. Write me an e-mail and I'll make sure that you get everything today. ” Her voice is muffled. "Yes, I'm coming, Matsuri."

* * *

“Do you understand your orders?” Nagato asks again, sitting in his office behind the desk, his face hidden by the shadows of the room.

“Why do I have to work with him?” Sasori asks with a growl in his voice.

“Because I said so.”

Their boss's voice is cold and tolerates no dissent. Konan is standing behind him, a white paper flower in her hair. Her eyes are watching them closely.

When Deidara decided to join the Akatsuki he wasn't prepared for all the strict rules inside the organisation. He has been a criminal since his youth. Loving to experiment with explosives and causing chaos and destruction. It is his passion. His art is an explosion.

Therefore he has seeked for someone who understands him. He doesn’t want to disappoint his colleagues and most of all not his boss. He is fine with working hard. The Akatsuki are his family. More than his mother and father have ever been.

“Who is our target?”

“Sabakuno Gaara,” Konan says and hands them a folder with information. “We want him as a bargaining chip. The Suna police prevents us from doing our business. Just kidnap him and keep him alive. We take care of the rest.”

* * *

The three of them were granted two wonderful hours before they have to part ways again for an indefinite period of time. Although they had all chosen careers in the police, even in the special forces, they seldom worked the same shifts or were assigned to the same teams.

Most of her work is done at her desk anyway. There are weeks when she just even go on patrol to feel as though she was doing something useful. At the moment it was such a phase.

Which is why Temari has agreed to sit in the sun, eating ice cream with her brothers all the more enthusiastically. When she is with her brothers, she knows why she works so hard: To make the world a better place.

She finishes her coffee with regret when Gaara asks for the bill.

It is only thanks to her good instinct that she knocks over the table the next moment and drags Gaara with her. The window of the cafe behind them shatters into a thousand pieces when the bullet hits it.

The bullet from a sniper rifle.

Gaara doesn’t know yet what happens to him when the world around him explodes. He knows why Temari has pulled him with her when the window shatters. At the latest, the screaming people around and Kankuro - who loudly demanded reinforcement from his colleagues on the phone - would have given him the last clues.

People run away in panic while some are shouting for help.

"Here," Temari says, wrapping her scarf around a bleeding arm wound. Apparently a piece of glass had hit him. He hasn't noticed.

"You hurt yourself, Temari." He reaches out and touches her cheek. She has a cut there.

"That's nothing. Are you okay? Did you hit your head?" Before he can answer, Kankuro comes over and pulls them both up.

"Come on, we have to take cover. Who knows how many crazy people are still walking around here."

* * *

Shikamaru has just got himself a fresh cup of coffee and is clicking through the rosters for the next two weeks when his cell phone starts to ring. He looks at the number and Temari’s face is looking back at him. He answers the call without hesitation.

"I've received your e-mail and I'll answer right away, Temari. You don't have to call me privately," he says into the phone, slightly annoyed.

Instead of an answer, he hears a loud sniff.

"Temari? What has happened?"

As much as her attitude annoyed him sometimes, when she cried something was absolutely wrong. He has only seen her cry once in all these years and that was when she threw a coffee mug in Kankuro's direction in anger. That has been an unforgettable evening that ended up in the emergency room. His ears were still ringing until today.

"I urgently need your help," she says in a broken voice. "We need support from Konoha and I cannot request it through official channels."

Immediately he has a bad feeling.

"Of course," he replies, sitting up straight.

* * *

His head throbs, and not just from the blow on the back of his head. He just wanted to make sure that Gaara and Temari were safe when two guys came running towards them. They wore silly black suits with red clouds on them. The blond with the high ponytail and bangs had held something that looked like a remote control. When his finger pressed a button, the ice cream parlor behind them had been blown up. The other man had light, red hair and stood there expressionless while his partner laughed madly and raved about his explosive art.

Temari and Gaara have switched into work mode as fast as lightning and tried to get hold the men. However, they did not expect the speed and above all the ruthlessness of their opponents. Before he could even react, Temari was grabbed by the redhead. He held a knife to her neck and was ready to use it.

"We only need Gaara Sabakuno," he had spoken. "Then we'll let this sweet princess go."

"No, don't do it, Gaara," Temari pleaded.

Kankuro had seriously admired her fearlessness. But of course Gaara agreed to the deal. He didn't think twice about when his siblings were in danger. If he was honest with himself, he would have done the same.

Immediately after making sure that Temari was okay, Kankuro ran after these figures. He even caught up with them. Then everything went black around him.

Now he is tied to a chair in a damp basement room with flickering lights.

"Finally awake?" The red-haired guy looked familiar.

"Sasori, am I right?"

"Oh, so the youth hasn't forgotten me yet. How nice."

About ten years ago it became known that an up-and-coming talented police officer not only kidnapped people, but also took individual parts from people in a secret laboratory to make life-size puppets out of them.

He is disgusted by the thought of it.

"You don't scare me," Kankuro growls.

"We'll see."

He doesn’t know where he had hidden the syringe, but when he rams it into his arm, everything burns like fire.

* * *

  
Temari paces restlessly in her apartment. She still doesn't know if she has done the right thing.

In the hospital, her colleagues interviewed her for almost two hours. She had tried to remember every single detail. Only the more she rummaged around in her head, the more her memories blurred. It happened so quickly.

They took care of the cut on her face and put a supportive bandage on her sprained wrist. After all, she had been sent home.

The Akatsuki had done a thorough job. They had made it unmistakably clear that they did not need to look for Gaara or Kankuro. If they asked for help from other districts, their brothers would be dead. They immediately asked the police to move out of their neighborhoods so that they could go about the drug deals there without disruptions.

Temari knows that is exactly what Baki was ordering at the moment. They had until midnight tomorrow.

She didn't think when she dialed Shikamaru's number. He was just the first one she has thought of.

Again she stares at the quiet street outside the window of her apartment. She sees a car pull up with a license plate from Konoha. She closes her eyes in relief. Finally she can do something.

Shikamaru doesn’t have time to realize what is happening when Temari throws herself into his arms and doesn't let go of him. He moves to the side so that Sasuke and Naruto can pass them.  
The former gives him a questioning look, but he comments it with a shrug. He himself is startled by Temari’s atypical behaviour. She is more of the type for snappy comments and fond teasing. Not for sudden hugs.

They stand in the hallway for a few minutes before she lets go of him.

“I am so grateful that you are here. I didn't want to cause you any trouble. "

"Let's go in first," he says and reaches for the bag that he has dropped.

Equally atypical of Temari, she takes his free hand into hers and she pulls him inside the apartment.

Sasuke, as pragmatic as ever, has thrown himself straight into the kitchen and makes coffee. Naruto is sitting on the sofa leafing through the files that Temari has probably copied and taken away without the knowledge of her superiors. If she is willing to risk her job, the situation is very serious.

Shikamaru hasn't needed many words from her to recognize the urgency in acting quickly.

"How is the situation?"

Temari sits next to Naruto. She snorts loudly. "I was sent home because I was injured."

Shikamaru only now notices that she has a cut on her face and that she is wearing a bandage on her arm. Apparently she is doing well enough to be angry. She has that dangerous look on her face that makes anyone else flee instantly.

"What exactly are the Akatsuki's demands?" Sasuke asks, who joins them with the coffee in the living room.

“By midnight tomorrow the police should withdraw from the areas where the Akatsuki sell their drugs. They want a clear path for their business."

"Hn.” A sound from Sasuke that could mean both contempt and approval.

While Naruto pours the coffee, both Shikamaru and Sasuke pick up the papers. Shikamaru only scans the bare minimum. Temari must have a more profound knowledge than the files showed.  
Not much is known of the members of the Akatsuki as they of course keep a low profile. In addition to the names Deidara and Sasori, the list only includes a description of all the large Akatsuki animals. But he suddenly stops. A member's name is more than known to him.

After all, his brother is standing next to him.

"Sasuke, I think the problem is more serious than I thought." He looks at Shikamaru and takes the file from his hand.

"Itachi," Sasuke says with so much hate that it immediately feels colder in the room.

"Your brother?" Naruto exclaims, shocked. Shikamaru nods. If Itachi has anything to do with it, it would be a concern for Konohagakure as well.

"I'll inform Kakashi," Shikamaru says and pulls out his phone.

* * *

Gaara knows what fear feels like. He has been afraid of his father all his life. Long before being beaten up by the kids at school. To him, fear was like an old confidante reaching out to him. While others fall into paralysis, he lets it embrace him and becomes calmer. So he let it wash stubbornly over himself when Deidara is playing with his knife in front of him and tells him what he is going to do with him. As long as he does not use the knife, he can mentally adjust to how he behaves.

What worries him much more is the whereabouts of Kankuro. He has heard him scream earlier, but since then there has been silence.

The door opens and the other man with the red hair steps back in. This time he has a smile on his face.

"The other one won't make a sound for a while," he says.

Gaara tries not to show how these words alarm him. He has to stay calm. It all could be just a big bluff; nothing more.

"What are you going to do?" he asks instead.

“The little bird can talk,” Deidara says, smiling. “I thought that was clear: we want to finally do our business in peace without your sniffer dogs going after us. As soon as your boss has enforced our demands, you can go where you want. "

"I thought I could play a little more."

“You are always so impatient. We still have plenty of time, Sasori. "

* * *

Temari has insisted on going with them. Even if she couldn't help, she at least wants to stay close. Naruto has voted for it, even if both Sasuke and Shikamaru have been against it. They have taken Temari's car as it was less noticeable.

They have already put on their protective equipment and weapons. Naruto doesn’t feel well with all of this. Under no circumstances they are allowed to shoot without reason. Kakashi has made it clear to all of them that they should behave inconspicuously and only fire shots if their lives were in danger. He'd come up with a way of explaining why Konoha police officers who happened to be in the special forces roamed around Suna at night, carrying loaded weapons with them.

Should they manage to free Gaara and Kankuro, which they all considered very unlikely, they could hope for goodwill from Suna's police department. Despite the unusual measures.

He is a little proud to have provided the crucial clue about the Akatsuki hiding place.

Sasuke and Shikamaru have discussed what would happen if Itachi appeared on the scene, when Naruto has picked up a map. Temari has shown him where they were when Gaara has gone with the two men. She showed him the busy streets and secret routes. He had listened to her explanations with interest. Then the old, abandoned industrial complex caught his eye. Once there was a factory for medical equipment. If the description was correct, one of the Akatsuki members was Sasori and since he liked to play with his victims, this place was ideal for him.

Shortly afterwards, they left, hoping to be right.

"You give me cover," Sasuke says. "Woe to you shooting me in the back, idiot."

Shikamaru has already secured the way for them and is the first to get into the building. He is an ace at picking locks and moving like a shadow. Since Sasuke naturally has razor-sharp eyes that are sometimes as precise as a cat's in the dark, he guides Naruto through the narrow corridors.

They have worked their way systematically through the building and arrived at the basement. Since they don’t know who and how many people are still in the huge complex, Shikamaru has stopped at the entrance to the basement. They are in contact through small transmitters, but there is hardly any radio reception. If they find anything, Temari will call for backup on her cell phone. They hope it isn't necessary.

"There's a light up there," Naruto whispers, pointing left to a room where the door is ajar.

Sasuke nods to him and carefully pushes the door open. Naruto isn't ready for what they find. It is Kankuro. He is handcuffed to a chair, unconscious. His face has an unhealthy colour.

"Fox Spirit to Silver General," Naruto speaks softly into the microphone. “We found the Kabuki Player. We need medical help. "

He doesn’t know how he got on the floor, but he doesn’t care either, because the pain in his body is unbearable. Deidara hasn't followed up on his threat, but Sasori doesn’t seem to have any qualms. At first he hit him in the face and tested how Gaara reacted to it. At some point that was no longer enough for him and so he kicked a leg away from the chair.

In any case, his head doesn’t feel good. It is difficult for him to keep his eyes open. Besides, the pain makes him sick. He wants to sleep.

"You exaggerated," Deidara chides his colleague. "His condition is critical and the boss won't like it at all."

Instead of Sasori answering, Gaara hears him suddenly fall to the ground. Deidara stares at his colleague who is holding the side with his hand. In the next instant he goes down himself as a projectile hits him in the arm.

"ARGH!"

His brain can’t quite process what has just happened when someone kneels beside him who is all too familiar to him. He can still hear someone addressing him, but he can no longer answer.  
Sleep beckons him.

* * *

She has given Shikamaru the car keys and goes with Kankuro in the ambulance. On the way to the hospital he regains consciousness, which gives her hope. Gaara, on the other hand, is in a worse condition. She tries to concentrate fully on Kankuro so she doesn’t think about how her other brother is doing. He is in safe hands. The paramedics and the ambulance have promised her that they will do everything to save him.

She doesn’t know how to thank Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru for their quick and effective action. She has known her friends are among the best in their field, but she realizes how good they were in situations like this. Especially Sasuke and Naruto working together like clockwork.

Baki has simply pulled her into his arms and thanked her for ignoring his instructions. She will face a punishment, but she gratefully accepts it.

The main thing is that her brothers are safe.

* * *

  
“This takes too long,” Nagato murmurs and stirs his coffee. “Are Itachi and Kisame ready to go to Konoha?”

Konan takes a sip of her own coffee and looks her friend in the eye.

Without the others around he is more relaxed and the man she knows since her childhood. Being war orphans has made them strong and cruel. The world was a place without help for the weak and forgotten children. Therefore they have started the Akatsuki. To turn around the world order, making it a better place.

She doesn’t like the drug business at all. But with the death of Yahiko all changed. Money makes the world go round. That has been enough reason for Nagato to start trading and selling heroin.

“They will head out once Sasori and Deidara are back,” she answers and puts down her mug.

Nagato coughs and holds his hand in front of his mouth. She sees he is spitting out something. When she hands him a tissue it’s blood.

She fears soon she will also lose him. Her last real friend.

“Don’t you want to lay down and take your medicine?”

He shakes his head. “I need to know what happens in Suna.”

She gulps but doesn’t comment further. A knock on the door announces a visitor.

Kakuzu opens the door.

“We have news, boss. But you won’t like it.”

* * *

  
He only notices that Temari has fallen asleep when her head gets heavier on his shoulder. To prevent her from waking up, he carefully maneuvers her into a more comfortable position so that she lay with her head in his lap. He doesn’t dare to move too much. She badly needs sleep. Temari has been up most of the day and has been through quite a lot. She has also suffered injuries, albeit minor ones. He will wake her up if it is necessary.

Since he knows how quickly she is getting cold, he puts his jacket over her. Temari is a strong person and she can handle difficult situations. She rarely shows weakness and only when she is sure that nobody used it against her. Shikamaru knows he is one of those few people.

Right from the start they have a special place in their circle of friends. While everyone else was still playing hide and seek, they sat on the porch of his parents' house and played shogi or discussed books. He had been there when Temari had hung over the toilet for the first time because of too much alcohol, as neither Kankuro nor Gaara were within reach and she had no desire to get a sermon from Ino. She was there when he passed his driver's license and as a reward she invited him to an ice cream in Suna.

Temari is important to him, even if she is one of the most troublesome people he knows. But that's exactly why it is all the more worthwhile to be friends with her. Because once you crack her shell, she enriches your life.

One of her hair strands tickles her because she wrinkles her nose. Quickly he brushes it off her face.

He looks again at the clock in the waiting room. The operation on Gaara has probably just started. He sighs and puts an arm around Temari.

If there is nothing else he could do, he would watch over her sleep that long.

* * *

Kabuto watches as Orochimaru talks with his subordinates. The Sound Five are his trump card. He hasn’t stopped talking about Uchiha Sasuke for months now and he is concerned his boss is too obsessed with this boy.

  
Once he tried to turn his brother Itachi. At the time he was a member of the Akatsuki. When he failed he started his own business which not only included the production of high valuable drugs, but experiments on people he gathered on the street.

Karin stands beside him, adjusting her glasses.

“I hope this Sasuke kid is worth all the effort,” she states.

“Orochimaru-sama knows what he is doing,” Juugo says and continues stroking the fur of the stray cat he adopted a few days ago.

Kabuto is disgusted by the growing pet zoo in their hideout. He was too soft for his own good. But best at being Orochimaru’s bodyguard.

“Do you want to say something bad about him?” Suigetsu asks and continues cleaning his nails with a knife. “Because my knife gets impatient. It hasn’t sliced a thing for quite some time.”  
Orochimaru dismisses the Sound Five and turns to them.

“We need to make some preparations, Kabuto.”

He follows him into the laboratories.

* * *

She wakes up to a gentle shake. Immediately she opens her eyes and looks into Shikamaru's face. He is holding a mug. She wonders briefly why she has been asleep, but then she sits up and runs a hand over her face. Without a word she takes the mug and is grateful that it is strong, black coffee.

When the caffeine is slowly pumping through her body she feels ready to speak.

"How long did I sleep?"

"About three hours," he replies and sits down next to her. "He should be out of the OR soon."

He rubs his arms because he is apparently freezing. She notices that he must have put his jacket over her. She hands it back to him, but instead of placing it on top, he places it on his lap.

"Thanks for the coffee."

"You’re welcome."

Her neck feels stiff.

_This is what you get from sleeping on uncomfortable plastic benches in hospitals._

She stretches her neck and makes small movements. Shikamaru apparently notices her distress. He puts his warm hands on her neck and begins to press on the particularly painful areas. She would have loved to sigh comfortably. Then she realizes what he was doing and she moves away.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked beforehand."

“No, it's okay. You just never did that before, "she replies, flustered.

She is a bit sad that he had immediately taken his hands away. Because it felt damn good, but they are in public and most of all, she doesn’t want to send him the wrong signals. Good friends don’t do that. The awkward silence that spreads between them is finally broken by a nurse.

"Sabakuno-san?"

"Yes?"

“The doctor would like to speak to you. Your brother is out of the operation room."

She immediately jumps up and puts her coffee aside.

"I'll ask Naruto when they'll come back to pick us up."

"Thank you, Shika."

She gives him another smile before following the nurse.

* * *

Konoha’s streets still look the same. He remembers the days he walked with Sasuke through the forests, looking for places to hide and seek or climb on the trees. Those have been good days. Days he remembers to forget the misery he is living in.

He leads Kisame into a bar so they blend into the masses of people. Itachi doesn’t like their mission and still hopes he must not do harm to their target.  
After they failed to threaten Suna, they should kidnap someone else.

He knows this kid since the boy is his brother’s best friend.

Nagato is a much better puppeteer when he ever could be. When he has read the files about Naruto he sees the smile of Kushina and Minato, who both have died much too young. He hates to do this to him.

“What is your plan? Do you want to spare a visit at your brother’s?”

He watches the surroundings and can see Naruto at a table not that far away. A girl with rose hair is sitting next to him. There are others he recognizes. Some of them are Sasuke’s former classmates.

It feels like a walk on memory lane. In another life, when fate hasn’t been so cruel he would sit with them. Sasuke may not look happy as he sips on his beer, but he is not alone. Everything Itachi has hoped for, when he has left him behind without a family.

“We will follow them later. Drunk, they are a much easier target.”

“If you say so.”

Itachi hears the laughter drifting through the air and wishes so much to hug his brother, explaining to him why he has done all of this. But he can’t.

In a better world they still would be brothers instead of enemies.

He misses his old life.

He misses having hope.

**Author's Note:**

> This story had been in my drafts folder on my computer for at least one year. Once I wanted to make a multi-chapter out of this, but since I didn't work on it for a long, long time I decided to use it for Naruto AU Week.


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